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Sunday, September 1, 2013

Top Five Entry Level Smartphones for September 2013

It is the start of the month, and time to release new buyers guides. These guides are getting harder to write, which is good news for those in the market for a new smartphone. As usual, first up, are the entry level phones. These are composed of those priced at not more than Php10,000. If you are really practical, you really do not need to spend more than that these days. Sure, get a higher end phone on a plan. It is "free" or heavily subsidized. But if you are going to fork out your one money, 10K can get you pretty much any type of smartphone you want.

To make it on the list, a smartphone should run a current operating system. This includes Android 4.1 or higher, iOS 6, Windows Phone 8 or BlackBerry 10. There are no iOS 6 or BlackBerry 10 options available at this price range, so the entry level is composed of Android and Windows Phone devices.

The prices posted are those covered by an official manufacturer's warranty.

1. Cherry Mobile Flare (Php3,999) - Yup, it still the best point to start

The Cherry Mobile Flare is threatening to stay on this list for a whole year. That does not happen often. At Php3,999, the Cherry Mobile Flare is still a good value for money proposition as it was almost a year ago..

The Flare represents the minimum amount of hardware needed for a good Android experience. With a 4-inch WVGA (480 x 800) display, it has a large and sharp enough display for you to use productivity apps, browse the web, watch video and enjoy games. This was the size of the display of the first Samsung Galaxy S phone and is the same size as the Apple iPhone 5.

The 1.2 GHz dual-core Qualcomm-built processor and 512 MB of RAM is just enough to keep the experience pleasant. The Flare is also equipped with 5 MP primary camera with a LED flash, and a VGA front camera. The 5 MP camera is good enough for posting decent pictures on Facebook or Instagram, but that about it. The 1500 mAh battery is just about large enough to get you past a work day.

Not terribly exciting hardware, but good enough for the Php3,999 asking price.

Moving a step up from the Cherry Mobile Flare, you have the Cherry Mobile Razor. And it is a big step up. The Razor has twice the RAM, twice the number of processing cores, and yes, it is twice as fast. The Razor is fast, as fast as phones double its price. The Razor also comes with a larger display than the Flare, It comes with a 4.5-inch qHD (540 x 960) unit.

The Razor is not only about killer specifications at a low price. It also brings in a lot of style to the budget class. At just 7.7 mm thin, the Flare is 0.1 mm thicker than an iPhone 5, and thinner than a Samsung Galaxy S4.

Quick specifications:

Android 4.x (Jelly Bean)

4.5-inch qHD (540 x 960) display

4 GB internal storage expandable via a MicroSD card slot

1 GB RAM

1.2 GHz quad core MediaTek MT6589 processor

PowerVR SGX544 graphics

8 MP autofocus primary camera with LED Flash

VGA front camera

HSPA

WiFi

Bluetooth

A-GPS

1750 mAh battery (not user replaceable)

3. Huawei Ascend G525 (Php6,990) - For those who do not like locally branded ODM phones

The Huawei Ascend G525 has nearly identical specifications as the Cherry Mobile Razor. In many ways it is a step down. The Qualcomm S200 chipset on the Ascend G525 is not as fast as the MediaTek MT6589 chipset on the Razor. It should be around 20% slower. The phone is also much thicker than the Razor, just under 10 millimeters. The Ascended G525 also does not come with a LED flash.

So why put it on the list? A fair number of readers want a branded phone, and not one of the locally branded devices. So here it is. It is a solidly built phone for the money and is made by one of the worlds top tier smartphone manufacturers.

It was a pretty tough decision on whether the Cherry Mobile Omega HD 2.0 or the Cosmos X, should make it on the list. In the end, I opted keep the Omega HD 2.0 on the list. At Php8,999, it is the lowest cost handset that represents the current concept of what a modern Android phone has morphed into: A big 5-inch quad core monster.

The Omega HD 2.0 has the same processor and RAM as the Razor but mates it with a HD/720p display. If you are looking for a budget priced alternative to the Samsung Galaxy S 4 or HTC One, this is the one.

If 5-inches is not big enough for you, there is the 5.7-inch Cherry Mobile Blaze 2.0. The Cherry Mobile Blaze 2.0 is pretty much a larger version of the Omega HD 2.0. The 5.7-inch display puts it in the category of a phablet. Think of it as a budget version of the Samsung Galaxy Note III.

Quick specs:

Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)

5.7-inch IPS HD display (720 x 1280)

Dual SIM

4 GB internal storage, expandable via a microSD card slot

1 GB RAM

1.2 GHz quad core processor

PowerVR SGX544MP graphics

12 MP BSI primary camera, autofocus with flash

3 MP BSI front camera

HSPA+

WiFi

Bluetooth

A-GPS

2500 mAh battery

Phablets get to the point of being ungainly, in terms of size. On the other hand, it is precisely its size which makes the phablet a more useful device, combining the benefits of a tablet and a phone.

Wildcard: Lumia 520 (Php7,450) - The Non-Android option

Not everyone wants an Android. Windows Phone 8 is a good alternative. Windows Phone 8 has a nice clean user interface. Facebook and Skype are integrated into Windows Phone 8.

The Nokia Lumia 520 is the cheapest Windows Phone 8 device, and it is a very decent choice. The phone comes 4-inch WVGA display, and a modern dual core Qualcomm Krait processor. The main drawback with the Lumia 520 is the absence of a front camera. Given Skype integration in Windows Phone 8, all Windows Phone devices should come with a front camera.

The Windows Phone ecosystem has about 160,000 apps, which is a fair bit less than the 975,000 apps you will find for Android. Still, the Windows Phone market has a good selection of productivity, communications and social apps. Windows Phone also comes with Microsoft Office installed and Nokia Here, which has offline voice-guided turn by turn navigation.